Game



Nov. 2, 1943.

G. H. FORSYTH 2,333,098

GAME I Filed July 24,1939 2 Sheets-Shet 2 I Z r I I L: I /4 n 24 Ar /l l 91. i i

42' 39 f 25 I7 4 a 7 M l a INVENTOR George /7. f0/"54/f/7 ATTORNEY or on ground or floor level,

Patented Nov. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PM ENT OFYFIICEV GAME George Hg Forsyth, Oak Park, Ill. Application July 24-, 1939, Serial No. 286,067

"reclaims. (oi. 2: 3 m) portant to provide a gamefor players more interested in exercising the upper portion of the body.

A consideration is to have a fastgame or one which will be variable in speed as the players skill varies and also one which requires the player to extend himself as much as possible except for his legs, stillone which if necessary can be played in the usual confines. l l

Itis thereforean' object of my invention to provide a game which is playable within relatively confined spaces by at least two players.

Another object of my invention is to provide a game in which it is not necessary for the players to run about over a large area, yet in which considerable exertion is necessary. l

Another object of my invention, and in keeping with theforegoing, is to provide a game to be played upon a court, whether consisting of a table top or ground or floor level, in combination with corresponding mechanism to return the ball upon a rebound bounce froman abutment wall atone end of the court, to come within stretch of the players confined at the other end.

Another object of my inventionink'eeping with the foregoing, is to provide a bouncing ball game to be played upon a court, whether a tabletop with the players confined at one end thereof,.while the other end,

, well beyond their stretch, is provided with adequate means, in co-operation with the court, to return the ball, under normal play, within reach of the players, and upon the first bounce/for continuing play. 7

Another object of my invention is to provide in connection with a bouncing ball game upona court, with the players confined at one end thereof land the other end well beyond their stretch, means for returning a deadened ball within reach of the players, and upon the bounce, for resumption of play. l a

Another object of my invention is to provide a game having various ball reflecting surfaces or" different characteristics.

Another object of'my invention is to provide indicated by the line 4-"4 of Fignl.

a gamethe apparatus for which canbe adapted to agame oftabletennis.

Another object of my invention is in general to improve games. r

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, in which 9 I Fig. l is a plan of agame-constructed in accordance withmy invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevationof the game shown in Fig. 1; and" a l it Fig. 4 is a cross-sectionthe plane of which is In its preferred form, the game of my invention includes'a playing court of rectangularor trapezoidal contour, "adjustably mounted" and preferably disposed substantially at the players Waist height. At one extremity of "the playing court isan upstanding end wall towardwhich convergeup'standing side walls bounding lateral extensions of the playing court. A muflle' board having sound and surface characteristics different from the remaining portions of the game apparatus is inclined upwardly from the playing court toward the end wall and is situated thereb-etween, extending from side wall "to side wall and being itself bisected by a dividing wall which also bisects the playing court and is upstanding yther'efrom'. Preferably, a demarcation or'other dividing means extends transversely-of the playing court to'divide it into playing zones.

While numerous variations of my gameare possible, I have constructed and successfully employed it with great satisfaction in substantially the form disclosed herein in which there is provided a playing court 5 including a central planar table 6 having end edges 1 and 8 and side edges 9 and I0 which themselves define substantially a rectangular figure. The table Bis preferably supported, at substantially the height of the players waist, upon forward legs [2 and vertically adjustablerear legs I3 which preferably may be manually 's'et in any selected position between wide limits. Thus the central table 6 may be disposed at a level or horizontally, especially for use in playing the game of table tennis for which the table 6 is of the correctdimensions, the official table size according to the National Table Tennis Association is five'feet by nine feet; yet, by extending or adjusting the legs 13 the'itable can be given a downward slant "towardftheforward edge 7, whereby in conjunction with a proper slant of an abutting wall at the other end of the Fig. 2 is a front elevationof the game shown in g from the -end-wall.

bound bounce within reach of the players. When I a regulation table tennis court is employed and the abutment wall is disposed at one extremity of the court, the length of the playing area on the table or court is such that the upstanding end wall against which the ball is struck is spaced from the other end of the court a distance in excess of the playingreach of a player of average height and reach. standing adjacent to said other end of the court.

Upstanding from the table 6 adjacent the rear edge 8 is an end wall M of generally rectangular configuration, which is removably attached to the table and extends for the entire width thereof. Included in the playing court 5 and attached to the table 6 at each side are hinged lateral extensions. Hi and I1, each of which is preferably somewhat triangular in shape with roundedcorners l8, so'that when the extensions are in use the playingcourt is trapezoidal. Each of the extensions rests upon sliding supports [9 and 20 fastened under the central table- 6 and, when raised, forms a substantially coplanar extension or continuationthereof. At the outer edges; of each of the extensions l6 and I1 there are providedupstanding-side walls v2 l and .22 which converge toward the end wall l4. Preferably the side Walls 2,! and .22 are not ,of thesame length as johgextensions l6 and I! but are somewhat shorter, so as to afford greater freedom of- .lateral stroking by the players. Supplementing the side walls 2| and 22 are substantially parallel side-wings 23 and 24 which are hinged to theside walls andiare provided with pivot {fasteners 2.5 -on which the end wall I4 is mountedso'ras to. bel'adjustably inclined with respect to theplaying court 5. Arcuate slots 26 are ;cut in the side-wings 23 .and 24 :to receive wing :fasteners 21 which can be manipulated to hold the'end wall 14 in any-selected inclination. The playing .-court.5 is divided into twozones .33 .and 134 by a suitable dividing means such as a transversedemarcation 36 preferably disposed to extend across the ,playing court 5 somewhat adjacent the forward'ends of the side walls '2! and 22. The playing court-,5 is'also dividedinto lanes of .play by a longitudinal demarcation-which extends for, substantially theentire length thereof-and which preferably is constituted by an upstanding adjustable dividingwall 39 of relatively low'height adjacent/the forward endzthereof but of gradually increasingheightasthedividing wall piercesthe endwall-l-t. iSinceit extends through the end wall, the :dividing ,wall may. be slid .back and forth to yieldthe Zheight desired, to serve as-a net in 'strokingand toassure underhormal playa suflicient height-of athe'ball upon rebound The dividing wall 39, the playing court 5, the extensions l8 and l?! and the side walls .Zl and 22v are all preferably-constructed of similar materials having. a relatively-hard surface which under impact with ,the ball: give off substantially similar sounds. The end wall 14 ispreferably of more yielding material, whereby. to permit more forceful stroking and without undue injury to the ball which is a relativel light ball, for-example a hollow sphereof Celluloid or comparable ,material. The sound vgivenioff is in consequence somewhatdifferent, thoughinot too markedly s 'j jaccordance'with my invention, 1 preferably provide a muilie board 42 having surface characteristics and sound, respons different from other surfaces inthe game apparatus. The muffle board is preferably a rectangular member disposed between the central table 6 and the end wall It and extending upwardly from the playing court toward the end wall substantially to the adjacent height of the dividing wall 39. The mufile board extends between the side wings 23 and 24 and is held adjustably in place by fasteners 43 piercing the end wall 14.

In order to be distinct in surface and sound characteristics. from the-remaining portions of the game apparatus, the muiiie board is preferably covered. The covering 44 is satisfactorily made of canvas or like fabric which affords a relatively soft surface as compared with the remaining surfaces of the game and which, when struck by the playing ball, emits a relatively mufmaining playing surfaces when struck by the p aying ball.

'In ordenthatta muiiied or deadened ball may becqliioklyreturned to the players confined to their end-of the court, upon the bounce, for resumption of playand maintenanceqof interest, the muffle board with'its-softer rebound surface is 'given aback slant in excess ofany given to station themselves :along the leading edge I of n the playing courty5, the width of the apparatus betweenithe center-wall 3,9 :and the side edge of the extension I l, f or example, being adequate to afford one player room to reach or stretch without materially interfering with similar .ac- ,tivities on-the-part of a second, contesting player stationed on, thegother side of the center between the center-and the side edge of the extension l 6. A ,ball lfi, similar to "a table tennis ball, isput into play by being bounced on the playing court-J5 and being struckjby a bat. The ball must pass over the dividing wall '39, strike the end .wall 14 after such passage, .and finally bounce upon the other side .of the playing court 5 between the dividing line-.35 and the contesting player. If insuch flight the ball strikes the muflle board 42 its trajectory ismaterially altered, and the impact upon the variant surface gives out adistinctive muifledor. dead'sound, and the ball is considered l deadf or goes'out of play.

Upon encountering a ball bouncing on the playing .court in front of him and ahead of the dividing line 36, the second player returns it with his bat in ,a, similar fashion, but the return ball need' not encounter the playing court 5 on theotherside of the dividing Walll39 ahead of the dividing line 36 but'may bounce behind such line. The ball is continued in play in this fashion until suohtime as it either flies beyond the apparatus entirely, in which event it is dead, or strikes the mufile board or the center board, in which case it cannot be maintained in-play. The scoring can be arranged to suit the players,.but usually the scoring is in accordance with a point system depending upon mainte the court.

7.,A bouncing ball game tobe played on ,a court at one endof; which arelocated the playmechanism including the end and side walls,=the

' longitudinally disposed center; board; the muffle A game comprising a layin court idisposed substantially at the height of a players waist, an upstanding endwalhat one extremity of saidplaying court, means for yarying the dihedral angle between said end wall and said court, triangular lateral extensionson said playing cour-t, upstanding side walls engaging said lateral extensions converging toward said; end walL; and means extending, transversely of said playing court for dividing said playing court into zones. I H I 2 A- game comprisinga playing court of rectangular contour, an upstanding endwall at one extremity of said playing. court, triangular lateralextensions ,at thesides of i said playing court, upstandingside wallson said extensions converging towardsaid end wall, a mu ifie, board having a relatively {soft surface extending between said side walls and inclined from said playing court to said end wall, and an upstanding, and adjustable "diyiding wall ,bisecting said playing court wall. 7 3. A game comprisingaplaying court, ,ah upstanding, endjwallflat one extremity of said playing court,'means for'varying the dihedral angle,

between said end wall and saidpourt, triangular lateral extensionson saidplaying' court, upstandingfsidewalls engaginglsaid ,lateral extensions and convergingtowardsaid endwall, and ace'nter board disposed longitudinallvfif ,theflcou'rt, to

divide the same intq lanes of play and to serve asa net fqrstreking height of the,ball in pass ing from onelane' of play'to the other. 1 4. A game comprising a playing court, an ,upstanding 'endwall at one extremity lof said court,

a pair of upstanding'sidej walls extending to said end wall, and a muffle board having asofter surface than said court and said end wall extending between said side walls' and ,sleping upwardly from said playing court to saidend wall. f

5,- .A me comprisingya layingcourt, an 11 5-,

standing end wall at one extremity of said play-' ing court, a slanting muflie boardhaving a softeri surface 'to produce substantially less sound response under ball impactth'an'said playing court and said end wall extending therebetween, and" a longitudinal dividing wall upstanding from said playing court and bisecting produce lanes of play.

i .6. A game comprising'acourt having aplaying area, and means .for' disposing'said area; at' a downward slant in the direction of' the players at one end thereofincludingc fixed 'sup'ports 'at one end of said area and extensible supports at the other end thereof, an upstanding adjustable wall 'at the other end (of said court disposed at to the playing area of an obtuse dihedral angle ers and whose other end is provided with an anglebetwe'en said end wall and said court; the

court being also, provided'with lateral exten- ,from the other end of said "court, the dihedral angle :zbetween said court. and said wall being obtuse, said courthaving side edgesconverging toward said end wall, and sidewalls upstanding from said edges andconverging toward said end,

wall.

; 9...:A game comprising a playing court,'anup standing end wall at one extremity of said playing court; aslanting muffle board extending from said playing court to said end wall; sound deadening means covering saidmuflie boardto distinguish ball impactasound thereon from ball impact sound elsewhere,:and, alongitudinal upstanding wall for dividing'the court into lanes of play and for bisecting said mufiie board.

10. In a bouncing ball game, the combination of a playing court, an upstanding abutment spacedirom one end of the court a distance in excess of the playing reach of a player of aver-,

age height and reach standing at said one end of the, court, said abutment including a vrigid rebound playing portion and a rigid rebound default portion,'jeach of -said portions being, disposed at an obtuse dihedral angle to the court whereby there is imparted to a normally stroked, incident ball striking either of said portions a;

upstandin'gjwall, means, for varying the dihedralrebound trajectory jtendin'g .to bounce the ball,

on the court into reach of theplayers, said play,-, ing court: being substantially free from transverse obstructions between the abutment and the opposite end of the playing court, so that return,

of the ballfrom the abutment to the othersend of the court is unimpeded.

11'. In a bouncing ball game, the combinationofaplayingcourt, anupstanding abutment adja' cent to one end of the playing'court and com; prising a pluralityof ball rebounding portions disposed one abovethe other and angularly with respect tojeach other, the-lower of saidgportions being: at an 'obtuse'dihedral angle with respect;

to the playing court, whereby; there is imparted to a normally; stroked incident ball striking said' lower portion a rebound trajectory tending to quickly return the ball into reach of a player; at

the other end of the court; said playing court being substantially free from-transverse obstruc-f tions between the abutment andthe opposite end of the playing court,- sothat return of. the ball from the abutment to the other end of the court is unimpeded. i l

1,2. In a bouncing ball game, the combination of a playing court, an upstanding abutment spaced from one end of the court a distance in excess, of the playing reach of a player of average height and reach standing at said one end ofnthe'court, the, abutment including arigidxrebound playing" portion and a rigidreboundde fault portion, the default portion being disposed at an obtuse dihedral angle to the court, and

extending substantially from the playing por-" tionof the abutment to the playing court, "the angle beingsuch that the rebound trajectory of a normally hit ball striking the default portion tends to directly return the ball 'to within reach of the playeryboth of said portions havingplanar surfaces substantially coextensive ,withfthe' widthw of the playing court and being normal to a plane including the longitudinal axis-of the playing court and perpendicular" thereto," said playing court being substantially 'free' from transverse obstructions between-theabutment and the opposite end of the playing 'court,-'so that return of the ball from the abutment to the other end of the: court is unimpeded." 5

'13;'In a bouncing b'allgame, the Combination of a playing court; an upstanding abutment spaced from one end of'the court a distance in excess of the playing reach of' a-player of aver age heightand reach standing at said :one end ofthe cou'rt; the abutment including a rigid rebound playing portion and a rigid reboundde-' fault portion, the entire iplaying portion being above the default portion and disposed at an obtuse dihedral angle to; the court,'said playing court being substantially free from transverse obstructions between theabutment and the op posite end of the playing court, so that return of the ball from the abutment to the" other end of the court is unimpeded. r

14. In a bouncing ball game, the combination of a playing court, an upstanding abutment spaced from one end of the court a distance in excess of the playing reach ofa player ofaverage heightand reach standing at-sa'id oneend of the court, the abutment including a rigid rebound playing portion and-a rigid rebound default portion, the entire playing "portion being above the default portion and disposed at an abtuse dihedral angle to the court, the playing portion of the-abutment being more yieldable than the playing court, whereby the rebound velocity imparted to the ball incident upon the playing portion is reduced." i

"15. A bouncing ball game including a playing court; an upsta'ndingabutment spaced'from one end'of the courta distance in excess of the playing-'reachof a player of average height and reach standing at said one end'of the court, the abutment including avrigid rebound playing portion disposed at an obtuse dihedral angle to the court and being relatively more yieldable than the court, andarigid rebound default portion below the playingportion disposed'at an-obtusedihedral angle to the playing surface, said default portion beingalso disposed at an obtuse dihedral angle to thecou'rt and extending substantially from the playingsurfac'e' to the playing court. 1

16. In a bouncing ballgame, the combination of a playing court substantially free of --transverse obstructions, an upstanding abutment adjacent to one end'ofthe court, the abutment extending substantially to the playing "courtand having a rebound playing portion disp'osed'at an obtuse dihedral angle to the court, at least the upper part of the playing portion being more yieldable than the court, thelength of thecourt; the yielding qualities of the 'upperplaying portion and the obtusedihedralangle of the playing portion being chosen with values which will cause a ball normally stroked against any part of the'playing portion to have a reboundtrajectorytending to bounce the ball upon the court within reach of the player.

, surface, and said dihedral angles being such that 17. In a bouncing ball game, a playing court having one transverse end edge marking a player positionend and having an abutment endwall provided at itsopposite end comprising a lower portion substantially engaging the surface of the court and rising therefrom at an oblique dihedral angle-therewith and an upper portion having a surface substantially engagingthe upper edge a normally strokedball moving lengthwise of the court will uponstriking either portion of the end wall have imparted to it a return trajectory tending to direct it to the playerposition end of the court without rebounding to'the other portion of the end wall. I

18. Ina bouncing ball, game,f-a playing court having one transverse'end edge marking a player position end and having an abutment end wall provided at its opposite end comprising a lower portion substantially engagingthe surface of the court and rising therefrom at an oblique dihedral angle therewith and an upperportion having a surface substantially engaging the upper edge of the lower portion and rising there from at an oblique dihedral angle therewith,

' the surface of the court and of each portion of the end wall being plane and unobstructed by any projection extending transversely of the court so that the entire surface of the end wall is a ball-returning surface and the angle be tween the lower portion of the end wall and the surface of the court beinggreater than the angle made by the plane of the upper portion of the end wall and the surface of the court, and said first named angle being such that anormal- 1y stroked ball moving lengthwise of the court will upon striking either portion of the end wall have imparted to it.a return trajectory tending to direct it to the player position end of the court without rebounding to the other portion of the end wall. .19. In a bouncing ball game, a playingcourt having one transverse end edge marking a player position end andhaving an abutment end wall provided at its opposite end, the entire extent of the area ofjsaid end wall which faces the player position end of the court consisting of a lower portion substantially engaging thesur face of the court and risingthferefrom at an oblique dihedral angle ,therewith., and an upper portion having) a surfacesubstantially engaging the upper edge of the lower portion and rising ,therefrom' at an oblique dihedral angle therewith, the surfaceof the court andof each portion of the'end wall being planecand unobstructed by any projection extendingtransverse- 1y of the court so that the entire surface of the end wall is a ball-returning surface, and the angle between the lower portion of the end wall and the surface of the court being greater than the angle made by the plane of the upper portion of the end wall and the surface of the court, and said first named angle being such that a normally stroked ball moving lengthwise of the courtwill upon striking eitherportion of the portion having a surface substantially engaging the upper edge of the lower portion and rising therefrom in a plane oblique to the surface of the court, the surface of the court and of each portion of the end wall being plane and unobstructed by any projection extending transversely of the court so that the entire surface of the end wall is a ball-returning surface, and said dihedral angle being such that a normally stroked ball moving lengthwise of the court will upon striking the lower portion of the end wall have imparted to it a return trajectory tending to direct it to the player position end of the court without rebounding to the upper portion of the end wall.

21. In a game apparatus, a court, an upstanding abutment spaced from one end of said court and having a ball-rebounding surface extending upwardly from said court, said abutment comprising upper and lower sections forming a dihedral angle, the lower portion of said abutment extending in close proximity to said court and forming an angle with said court, and one or more rigid side extensions for said court for increasing the width of the same at said end sumciently to accommodate two players without interference.

22. A bouncing ball game comprising a planar court, an upstanding abutment spaced from one end of said court and extending upwardly therefrom, one portion of said abutment being in a plane forming an oblique angle with said court, said angle being such that a played ball under normal initial impact striking the lower portion of said abutment will initially rebound free of said abutment, said court being free of any obstruction extending at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said court, and side walls at each side of said court converging toward said abutment.

GEORGE H. FORSYTH. 

